"Apple's $2.7B Motorola bond actually yearly estimate, could be worth $16B: Motorola could be forced to pay up to $16.2 billion in guaranteed compensation if the company ultimately loses its patent dispute with Apple in Germany, as the $2.7 billion figure the iPhone maker was quoted as seeking in November has been clarified as a yearly estimate." AppleInsider 9:50 AM

"How did you find someone to consolidate your [Apple ID] accounts? I have tried before, only to be told that it can't be done 'at the present time.'" MacInTouch 12/2

"Some guidelines for font usage in email would be helpful to both Windows and Mac users. As a long-time Mac user, I have accumulated far more fonts than I need, just by migrating from one Mac to another, and have no idea if some of them are obsolete or unsupported elsewhere." MacInTouch 12/2

Reviews/How-To/Tips

"Remote Dictation Smackdown: Which app does the best sending Siri text to a Mac?" TUAW 4:19 PM

"After installing 5.1.2 site loading was slow. I disabled DNS pre-loading and it is much faster now. Very pleased" MacInTouch 1:55 PM

"Mission Control has won me over: In my review of Mac OX X 10.7 Lion (Personal Technology, July 22), I found annoyances with Launchpad and Mission Control. But I've recently begun to warm to Mission Control, much to my surprise." Seattle Times 12/2

"Regarding the issues with mail display on different clients: There is plenty of room for debate about how well various mail clients adhere to various standards - and Microsoft is certainly problematic in relation to certain standards about attachment handling. What I have found is that unless there is a specific reason to have a particular font, color, or active link, it is far better practice to send as many messages as possible in plain text format." MacInTouch 1:55 PM

"Whether or not AppleCare is a taxable item varies from state to state. Where I live in Massachusetts, it's considered a service, and thus the state's 6.25% sales tax does not apply. In other states, it does." MacInTouch 1:51 PM

"Lion discussion continues with more explanation about how document-open operations work now, plus Snow Leopard compatibility with new Macs, along with tips and notes about Address Book issues and alternatives." MacInTouch 12/2

"VIVA launches iPhone 4S: VIVA Bahrain became the first telecom operator in Bahrain to announce its official launch of the long-awaited iPhone 4S from Apple, which will soon be available at all VIVA retail outlets." Gulf Daily News 10:09 PM

"iPhone widens Blackberry lead: Research in Motion Ltd.'s Blackberry has lost more smartphone market share in the last three months, while Apple Inc.'s iPhone has widened its lead over Blackberry." Washington Business Journal 12/2

"Inside iPhone 4S US mobile data: AT&T vs Sprint vs Verizon/Apple now sells iPhones that work on three of the top four national US mobile carriers. Here's a look at how well you can expect Apple's latest smartphones to work on each of these mobile data networks, based on real world testing of each carrier's data throughput." AppleInsider 4:16 PM

"Oh, for the Good Old Days of Rude Cellphone Gabbers" [But the etiquette of talking to a phone — more precisely, to a 'virtual assistant' like Apple's Siri, in the new iPhone 4S — has not yet evolved. And eavesdroppers are becoming annoyed.] New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required] 12/2

"Zittrain vs. Apple: What About the User Experience? Harvard Law School Prof. Jonathan Zittrain does not like the iPhone. Or the iPad. Or much of anything about the modern app economy." Tech.pinions 12/2

"Careful Day Caps Big Week for Dow: The U.S. stock market ended a rampant week with a whimper on Friday as early euphoria gave way to a sober look toward a crucial moment in the European debt crisis next week." WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 1:30 PM